Austin Reaves says he’s never met Taylor Swift in response to dating rumors

Austin Reaves didn’t quite say that he and Taylor Swift are never, ever getting back together during his appearance on the “All the Smoke” podcast this week, but only because he says they’ve never met.

For those wondering why Reaves, 25, was asked about rumors that one would have a hard time believing even in their wildest dreams, earlier this summer, the man was romantically linked to Swift, 33, when Lakers parody account “The Refrigerator” posted a meme following the Twitter trend of making up new relationships for celebrities after they split with their previous partner, joking that Reaves was seen at an Arkansas bar with Swift following the end of her rumored fling with The 1975 frontman Matt Healy.

Still with me? Good.

Well, as you can see in the link above, it was not a particularly convincing fake, but it was enough to mastermind multiple outlets into writing about it, and even left “All the Smoke” co-host Matt Barnes with a question about it.

During their hour-long chat with fellow host Stephen Jackson, Barnes asked Reaves if he would’ve, could’ve or should’ve dated Swift at any point this summer, prompting Reaves to respond that the whole thing was just an internet hoax (via “All The Smoke”):

Matt Barnes: “We heard a rumor, and we don’t like to start troubles here, but we heard something about Taylor Swift meeting you somewhere.”

Stephen Jackson: “I heard he was riding down the street, and Taylor pulled up, she hopped out (of her car), jumped in with him, and then he just pulled out. That’s what I heard (laughs).”

Barnes: “Did you get a chance to meet her?”

Austin Reaves: “I have never met her, never talked to her.”

Barnes: “So it was all bullshit?”

Reaves: “All bullshit... I ain’t never talked to her... They said we were in a bar in Arkansas.”

Barnes: “That’s crazy. I believed that shit too. Not his story (points at Jackson). I heard the bar in Arkansas too.”

Reaves: “Not true.”

Barnes: “Ah shit.”

Jackson: “Are you interested?”

Reaves: “I’m gonna stay out of the media.”

So for anyone who did buy into this — or was just hoping it was true — according to Reaves, you need to calm down. Even if Swift will ultimately be enchanted by a meeting with Reaves when sparks fly at the now holy ground of an Arkansas bar one day, today that’s still a fairytale.

You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.